The Happy Prince short story by

Oscar Wilde – Summary

The story is an allegory. It brings out the importance of charity. We learn that love
and sacrifice can endear us to God. The prince in the story is no living prince. He is
the statue of a dead prince decorated with gold leaves and precious stones. He is
known as the Happy Prince because there is a smile on his lips. But the smile
gradually gives way to tears. The Happy Prince cannot help crying over the scenes of
misery in the houses of the poor. He decides to help them with his gold leaves and
costly stones. The little swallow acts as his messenger, and he gives away all his
wealth. The Swallow was on his way back to his homeland when the prince had
detained him to help the poor. He still wished to go back but now it was too late. The
intense cold killed him. Thus the little swallow lost his life in helping the poor. His
death broke the prince’s heart. So the swallow and the prince perished for a noble
cause. But their death was not the end. It made them immortal. That is why the angel
selected the dead swallow and the lifeless heart of the prince as the noblest things on
earth. The story teaches a very useful and very true lesson. We learn that God loves
those who love their fellow human beings.

The Role of Little Swallow in "The

Happy Prince"

The little swallow plays a very important role in the story. He acts as the agent of
charity. He carries gold leaves and precious stones to the poor people who need these
things. He does the noble work of rescue and relief. Being a migratory bird the
swallow is on his way back home. The winter is coming, and soon it will be too cold
for the swallow to live. But he is a kind-hearted swallow. He stays with the happy
prince to help the poor in the city. He knows that this noble job will cost him his life.
But he is too kind hearted to leave the noble prince. He stays on till it is too
late. The cold kills him. He dies but his work for a noble cause makes him
immortal. The angle of God carries away his dead body as one of the most
precious things on earth. The role played by the little swallow has a lesson for us. We
learn that even a little bird can help the poor and the needy if he gets a chance. Why
not human beings? Why not little children? They can also do a lot of good if they try.
We also learn that God loves those who do good to others. The little bird gets an
opportunity to do good. He takes pity on the unhappy prince and consents to help
him in helping the poor and the needy. He lays down his life for this noble cause. He
dies of cold but his noble role makes his name immortal. In the same way we, too,
can become immortal by doing good deeds.

The role of Happy Prince in the

short story "Happy Prince"

The Happy Prince is not a living Prince. He is the statue of a prince, mounted on a
tall column in the center of the city. It is the statue of a dead prince with the soul of
the prince in it. He is decorated with gold leaves and precious stones. There is a smile
on his lips. People call him the Happy Prince because of this smile. He is a
supernatural character, because he can see, hear and speak.
Standing on the top of the tall column, he can see the condition of the people of the
city. He is deeply moved by the misery of the poor. When he was alive he lived a life
of comfort. He neither knew nor cared for the sufferings of the poor people of his
country. Now he regrets why he did not help them when he was alive. He requests the
little swallow to act as his messenger. Through this messenger he gives away all his
wealth. He loses his outward beauty and gains the beauty of the heart. Then the little
swallow dies, and his heart breaks, but God treasures his broken heart as the most
beautiful thing on earth. The Prince’s noble role teaches us that we can get real
happiness, peace and love of God by helping the poor.